More Diversity will Help the IMF at Work
IMF Blog, June 1, 2011
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- Authors: iMFdirect
- Published: June 1, 2011
Internal debate and institutional culture
- Nemat Shafik, who took over as IMF Deputy Managing Director in April, says she has been surprised by the vigor of internal policy debate at the IMF.
- From the outside, the IMF can appear “a monolith with a very single-minded view of the world.” Inside, what is “really striking is how active the internal debate is.”
- The IMF is described as a “highly professional and respectful workplace,” but Shafik acknowledges the institution “could nonetheless do better.”
Current global context shaping IMF priorities
- The global economy is being buffeted by continued uncertainty in Europe, uprisings in the Middle East, and signs of overheating in some emerging market economies.
- These global developments increase the volume and intensity of issues for the IMF to discuss and respond to.
Gender diversity progress and target
- Progress has been made on diversity of gender.
- Women at the IMF have spoken out against recent criticisms of the workplace.
- The IMF is committed to a new target of recruiting 50 percent women at all levels going forward.
Broader diversity beyond gender and nationality
- The IMF needs to look beyond nationality and gender to wider diversity issues, including:
- educational background
- diversity of work experience
- diversity of perspective
How diversity affects IMF work and advice
- A wider variety of views within the institution can enrich the existing internal debate.
- Greater internal diversity can better help shape IMF policies and advice to the institution’s 187 member countries.
iMFdirect, June 1, 2011